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Academy at the Lakes, an educational presence in the northern Tampa Bay area, today announced it has purchased a 47 acre portion of the MacManus property. The property is located at 2300 Twenty Mile Level Road, slightly north of State Road 54 and south of the Land O’ Lakes Recreation Center. The land will allow Academy the room to expand and as it continues to provide the northern Tampa Bay area with a premier private school. The School is currently located on approximately 10 acres of land on both sides of Collier Parkway, just north of State Road 54.
On June 28, 2013 Academy purchased the property, valued at slightly more than $3 million, from Pasco resident Dr. Lou MacManus as Trustee for the MacManus Charitable Remainder Trust. The MacManus family had earlier donated the land to the Trust and had named the school the beneficiary of the Trust.
This is the fulfillment of the MacManus children’s dream that the property be acquired by a school as a legacy to their parents, Land O’ Lakes pioneers Cameron and Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, who shared a passion for education. This is borne out by the fact that all three MacManus children Susan, Lou and the late Cameron MacManus grew up to become successful doctors with a passion for education and a strong love of their Florida home.
Said Dr. Lou MacManus,“I am extremely pleased. My brother, sister and I always hoped that the land could be used for the betterment of the community. My parents were strong advocates of education and so this is a perfect legacy to them.” We had other offers, however, we knew this was the right decision -- for our family, for the northern Tampa Bay area, for the land, and for the School.”
This is a transformative opportunity for Academy at the Lakes. Said John Faith, Chair of the Board of Trustees,“This is the realization of the School’s long-term vision to put a stake in the ground for current and future generations of Academy students, and positions the School as a powerful presence in the Tampa Bay area’s educational landscape. We have profound respect for and gratitude to ‘Dr. Lou’ and the MacManus family for partnering with Academy on such an exciting opportunity for the School.”
There are no immediate plans to commence construction of a new campus. Said Head of School Mark Heller,“We plan to take our time and carefully consider the ideal campus for us. We want to make smart decisions that are prudent, in the best interests of the School and our students, and that will stand the test of time. Building will commence after a lot of planning and when the time is right.” In fact, at the end of May the School’s Board of Trustees acquired 1.7 acres of land contiguous to its current campus. “This small parcel of land will give us some much-needed extra breathing room and allow us to improve the overall curb appeal of our McCormick Campus. The Board has an exciting longer-term vision for the School but it’s also important to focus on providing an excellent experience today,” said Heller.
Academy is a powerful player among independent schools in the Tampa Bay area and the state. With an enrollment of over 400 students, its athletic program is ranked in the top third among schools of all sizes in the Tampa Bay Area, 7th among private and public schools in FHSAA Class 2A, and their girls athletic program is ranked 2nd in the state. In addition to strong academics, the School has a growing reputation for its STEM program, performing arts, and college admission statistics that lead schools in the Tampa Bay area. Said Heller,“Our size presents powerful opportunities for our students, and they are taking advantage of those opportunities in all areas. Each student truly matters here.”
About Academy at the Lakes
Academy at the Lakes (academyatthelakes.org), founded in 1992, is a college preparatory independent school that offers a premier experience to students from Pre-K 3 to 12th Grade. The School builds socially responsible young people of character and offers a challenging academic program as well as strong athletic, fine arts and STEM programs. With its talented faculty and college admission statistics that lead Tampa Bay area schools, the School delivers on its promise to provide life experiences to students that will enable them to realize their potential and become leaders within their community, the nation, and the world.
Close to I-75, U.S. 41, the Suncoast Parkway, State Road 54, and the Bruce B. Downs Blvd. corridor, Academy at the Lakes and its new MacManus property are in an ideal location to serve the area’s growing population and business development. With its brand of educational excellence, an enhanced Academy at the Lakes will transform the educational landscape of Tampa Bay and the economic engine of the north side by positively contributing to the quality of life for area residents. The limitless potential of the north side makes the Academy/MacManus partnership an exciting opportunity for families and philanthropists committed to developing and improving the Tampa Bay area.
About the MacManus Family
The land was originally owned by Mike Riegler, a German immigrant and one of the area’s first settlers in 1911. The land he acquired totaled several hundred acres. He became one of the area’s largest citrus nurserymen and was also a Pasco County School trustee. His daughter, Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, was born in 1923 and grew up on the property. The current immediate family consists of the three MacManus siblings Dr. Lou MacManus, Dr. Susan MacManus and the late Dr. Cameron MacManus, Jr. The siblings’ parents, Harold Cameron MacManus and Elizabeth Riegler MacManus, instilled in their children a love of education, athletics and the native Florida environment. Mr. MacManus passed away in May 2007 and Mrs. MacManus passed away in 2008 and the property was divided among the three children. It has long been the desire of the three MacManus siblings, and particularly Dr. Lou MacManus, that a portion of the land be used for a noble purpose such as a school as a tribute to their parents.
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